Eusébio vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Striker, Portugal (born 1942, retired 1978) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Comparing Eusébio with Per Mertesacker means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Across his senior career Eusébio notched 623 goals in 715 appearances (0.87 per game), while Per Mertesacker recorded 15 in 550 (0.03 per game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Eusébio is credited with 0 and Per Mertesacker with 5. In major honours Eusébio collected 9 — headlined by 1× European Cup (1962) — whereas Per Mertesacker amassed 4, led by 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Eusébio mercurial, Per Mertesacker anticipatory. Club journeys add another layer, with Eusébio reaching his representative peak around 1965 across Benfica, Montréal Manic and Per Mertesacker doing so around 2014 with Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
161 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" and "o Rei" ("the King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and Benfica’s greatest player. Known for his speed, technique, athleticism and right-footed shot, he became one of football’s most prolific goalscorers.
“A powerful, explosive striker who combined pace, technique and a thunderous shot.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× European Cup (1962)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1957 Established himself at Benfica
- 1961 Reached his defining peak
- 1965 Delivered a landmark season
- 1978 Retired from professional football
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Eusébio is the choice: a decisive margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Eusébio edges it (a decisive margin)
